by Becki Willis
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Note from the Author
Preview:
Light from Her Mirror, Book 3 of Mirrors Don’t Lie
Chapter One
Mirror, Mirror on Her Wall
By
Becki Willis
Book Two
Mirrors Don’t Lie
Copyright© 2014 by Becki Willis
Clear Creek Publishers
All rights reserved. No part of this book can be copied, shared, or reproduced without written consent of the author.
This is a work of fiction. Although certain places and events do exist, all characters, businesses, and interaction with these places and events are purely fictional and a figment of the writer’s imagination. Esterbrook Community Church is a delightful treasure in the Medicine Bow National Park and appears in this story with due reverence and the utmost respect. The same is said for The Basin and the Franconia Notch State Park. Sadly, the flood and aftermath of destruction through Big Thompson Canyon are also real, with many of the scenes described as seen. However, mention of slow recovery efforts and lack of funding – whether true or not – are purely fictional and created for purposes of this story.
Chapter One
Worry lines scattered from the edges of her wide green eyes.
A line for each of the lives I was forced to lead, Kenzie Reese thought ruefully as she inspected the image in her mirror. Amy. Jessica. Lisa. Felicity. Shannon. The list went on, and so did the worry lines.
Only twenty-six, but the lives and the lines had blurred long ago; she lost count of the many towns where she had lived, forgotten some of her aliases, had never known her real name, in fact, until recently.
Stop it, she told herself sternly. Tonight, she was not going to think about the past. She was going to forget that her father was a criminal, wanted by both the FBI and the mafia. She was going to forget that his clandestine lifestyle had put her own life in danger. She was going to forget the lies and the secrets and the parade of changes that constituted her entire life. She hated change, after all.
Tonight, she was going out for the first time in over five weeks, and she was going to have fun. She just hoped she still remembered what it felt like.
Kenzie studied her reflection. If she ignored the worry lines and the bulky blue and white air cast circling her left leg, she could pass for elegant. The royal blue silk hugged her upper body before gathering in flattering folds around curvy hips. The sweetheart neckline offered a tantalizing glimpse of cleavage, highlighted by the twinkle of tiny diamonds and sapphires strung along a simple white gold chain. Normally, she would wear her strappy silver heels with the waltz length dress, but tonight there was a single black pump paired with the cast. At least it explained her awkward and uneven gait.
With a sigh, Kenzie started to pivot away, but an old habit stopped her mid-turn. She placed her palm against the mirror. It was a game she often played as a child, talking to the girl from the other side. All too often, that girl had been her only friend. And each time her family moved, she would stand in front of her mirror and say her goodbyes, tucking away the memory of the girl she was leaving behind; moving meant a new identity, a new life, a new slivered piece of her soul.
She usually played the old game with a solemn face and a heavy heart.
But today a smile stole across her face. The sudden sparkle in her eyes chased away the worry lines and a glow tinted her cheeks. A delighted giggle flavored her words as she said aloud, “Mirror, mirror, on her wall. She has a sister, after all!”
Makenna Reagan appeared as if on cue. “Did someone call me?” Her eyes held the same merry green twinkle.
Makenna stepped up behind her sister and smiled at their double reflection. There were a handful of differences, yet the images were amazingly alike. Makenna stood an inch taller and a few pounds heavier, but the curvy silhouette was the same. Dark auburn hair hung loose around her shoulders, whereas Kenzie’s black locks dangled from a fashionably messy up-sweep. One wore silk, the other denim, but the clothes were inner-changeable. Both images shared the same heart shaped face and large green eyes.
“Remember that day we first saw each other?” Kenzie murmured. “I walked up to the mirror in the bathroom, and there I stood, wearing the wrong hair and the wrong clothes!” On the first day of college in Texas, she met her true and forever friend over the row of sinks, a kindred spirit named Makenna Reagan.
“I bet the expressions on our faces were priceless to anyone watching,” Makenna mused. “We both put our palms up to touch, just like you were doing when I walked in. It was like a living mirror.”
Kenzie’s grin turned rueful. “Too bad it took us eight years to figure out we were actually sisters. Twins, at that!”
Makenna squeezed her shoulders, careful not to muss her hair. “The important thing is, we know now. In our hearts, we were always sisters, even when we didn’t know there was a blood connection.”
“But how did we miss it? On some level, deep down, shouldn’t we have known we were sisters? We know exactly what the other is thinking, for heaven’s sake. We can finish the other one’s sentence, answer a question that was never asked.”
“How could we have known? My parents adopted an abandoned three year old; your parents never told you that you had a sister.”
Refusing to get bogged down in the anger that surrounded that fact, Kenzie ignored all thoughts of her parents. “All this time, I just assumed we were mind readers, both of us naturally brilliant and uncommonly in-tune to those nearest us,” Kenzie said with exaggerated innocence.
“And don’t forget endearingly modest.”
Identical grins beamed through the mirror.
“So what am I thinking right now?” Makenna challenged her sister.
Kenzie flashed a cheeky grin. “How gorgeous you think I look, but to say so would be like bragging on yourself, so you’ll just say nothing at all.”
Because she had pegged her thoughts exactly, Makenna laughed. “Actually, the cast makes all the difference, so I can go ahead and say it. You look absolutely beautiful tonight.”
“Thank you, sister dear. It’s not exactly the way I planned to make my debut back into the public, but at least with it being a hospital event, the cast won’t be too out of place.” Her date tonight was with the cute intern she met when she broke her leg; they were attending a fundraiser for a new orthopedic wing.
“Who knows, you might start a new trend, theme-dressing for an event!” Makenna quipped. “Oh, there’s the doorbell. Guess your date is anxious to get the night started.”
“Would you mind answering? I still need to put on lipstick.”
As Kenzie applied a glaze of red to her lips, she took a deep breath to steady her nerves.
Normally the life of any party, this hesitance was something new; another change she had to deal with. Her entire life had been a series of changes, but the ones that had taken place over the past five weeks still had her reeling.
As a whole, her life had been going smoothly for the last several years. In retrospect, Kenzie realized that was the first sign that something was about to change; her life had never been that happy before, that smooth. She had a great career as a photojournalist for Now Magazine, she had good friends and an adopted family through Makenna, and she had not seen her own nomadic parents in eight years. Life was good. She finally had roots.
And then, five weeks ago, just before leaving for assignment in New Hampshire, she was in a three-car pileup and her entire life had changed forever. Again.
She conned her best friend into impersonating her on the trip, never knowing her impulsive scheme would turn both their lives upside down. By the time it all played out, both women had almost been kidnapped, she discovered her father was a criminal, the Texas Rangers and FBI had been called in, and, most incredibly of all, she found out that Makenna was her twin sister. Even for Kenzie, the unfurled chain of events had been bizarre.
With a final glance into the mirror, Kenzie tucked a stray curl back into place. She felt the tension move along her shoulders, but she ignored the telltale sign. She hated that unsettled feeling, the one that always came with change. It crept into her body and tightened her nerves, setting them on edge. The officials said she was safe, but instinct told her there was more yet to come. She could feel it in her soul.
Added to her rusty social skills and her less-than-glamorous appearance, this evening was getting off to a rough start. Maybe if she held her head high and put an extra swing in her hips, no one would notice…
Kenzie rounded the bedroom door, expecting to see the doctor. She did not expect to see the Texas Ranger, but there he was, all six feet, four inches of the man. He was talking to Makenna and a rare smile lifted the corners of his full mouth. Kenzie’s breath suddenly tangled in her lungs and had trouble squeezing its out way.
It was the first time she had seen him out of uniform, yet there was little difference. Instead of khaki, his long legs spanned an impressive length of starched dark denim. The tie was absent and rather than standard white, his pressed western shirt was cream colored. Yet even without the iconic silver star pinned to his chest, he had the sharp, commanding look of a lawman.
The familiar cowboy hat and boots were in place, pulling Kenzie’s eye the full length of him. Her eyes raced over him greedily and a strange pain invaded her heart. It felt a lot like longing, a little like panic.
The lawman looked up, and the smile on his handsome face slowly wilted. Complete surprise stole over his features and his jaw actually dropped. For one heartwarming, spectacular moment, Travis Merka was rendered completely awestruck, something Kenzie instinctively knew rarely happened. His dark gaze swept over her, brushing her with a caress.
Kenzie had scant seconds to enjoy the look of wonderment on his face. The fleeting expression was gone almost immediately, replaced by the familiar cool mask of professionalism. Had it not been for the faint glow still smoldering in his brown eyes and the lingering heat along her skin, she would think she had imagined the entire thing.
“Miss Reese.” The officer greeted her formally, but his low voice floated along her senses, stirring up ripples of awareness.
“Ranger.” She hated the breathlessness that accompanied her response.
Busy staring at one other, neither saw the smile Makenna tried to hide. “If you’ll excuse me…,” she murmured. They never noticed when she and her fading words slipped from the room.
After a long moment of silence, Kenzie and Travis both spoke at once, asking the same question. “How are you?”
“Ladies first,” Travis insisted.
“I’m fine,” Kenzie assured him. She looked down at her leg, wiggling bare toes from within the bindings of the cast. “At least I’m free of the crutches. Another week or so, I can ditch the cast and be good as new.” She swung her eyes up and probed the expanse of his chest, looking for any signs of lingering injury. Her mind flashed back, once again seeing the blood that dripped from his forehead and poured from the deep slash across his muscled chest.
Travis did not miss the tremor of horror that shivered through her. He reached out a long finger and lifted her chin, forcing her to look up at him. “I’m good. Honestly.” His voice was gentler than before, but firm enough to be convincing. “Takes more than a knife across the chest to put me down.”
“There was also a bottle across the head,” Kenzie reminded him. Two weeks ago, mobster Raymond Foto had impersonated a pizza delivery boy and come to this very apartment, intent on kidnapping Kenzie. He had surprised the Ranger stationed outside in the hallway, cracking a bottle over his head and slashing his chest before leaving him for dead.
“That part still stings.” He made the admission stiffly, dropping his hand.
How could he take his life so casually? Irritation made her voice sardonic. “Spoken like a typical male,” Kenzie scoffed. “Your ego is more fragile than your life.”
His dark eyes glittered at her remark and his mouth turned down in a frown. “I see your smart mouth survived the ordeal.”
Somehow, the man always managed to rile her. She had met him four weeks ago, when Ranger Hardin Kaczmarek brought him to the apartment and announced that the two of them were assigned to protecting her and her sister. During their brief acquaintance, they mostly argued and were at odds with one another, but even Kenzie knew the real reason he irritated her so much. There could be no fire without a spark, and Ranger Merka set off all sorts of sparks within her. Without a doubt, he was the best looking, sexiest man she had ever known, but her instant attraction to him rankled her. One look into his dark soulful eyes and she was feeling all sorts of strange and complicated feelings. She immediately put up her guard, protecting her heart with sharp words and stinging wit.
Sparks or no sparks, Kenzie bristled at his comment. “I’m sure you were hoping Foto’s knife would slip and cut my vocal chords.”
His body stiffened and his words came out sharp and menacing. “If that SOB hurt you…”
She did not expect him to react so strongly to her mouthy retort, but his quick burst of anger was for the mobster, not her. “He didn’t,” she was quick to assure him.
To her surprise, his mood changed abruptly. His next words came out slow and warm. “Heard I have you to thank for not bleeding to death.”
She might would have blushed at being heralded a hero, but the horror of the event was still fresh on her mind. There had been so much blood. In her mind’s eye, she could still see the deep gash marring the perfection of his chest. With each pump of his heart, blood gurgled and spurted forth, soaking everything in red.
Kenzie closed her eyes and shuddered as she recalled those awful moments. Up until she saw the blood smeared all over him, she would have sworn she disliked the tall Texas Ranger assigned to keep tabs on her. Faced with his imminent death, she realized her feelings for him were very complicated and she momentarily panicked. For a few defeated moments, she had given up hope. She fell against his chest, blood and all, and begged him not to die. She pressed a kiss onto his lips, begging him to hold on, whispering her hopes for a future with him. And in that brief moment of weakness, when she let her guard down and allowed herself to be vulnerable, Travis Merka had slipped into her heart.
“Kenzie? Are you alright?”
Forcing the bloody images from her mind, she nodded and opened her eyes. He was watching her in concern, his handsome face set with a frown.
It was the first time she talked to Travis about the incident, the first time she had even seen him. She had gone to the hospital that night, waited there with the others while he was in surgery, but she never went back to see him. She did not feel she had the right. Their paths had not crossed since.
“Too much blood make
s me woozy.” She hoped her explanation sounded plausible. “And there was so much blood.”
“Paramedics said if it wasn’t for you, I might have bled out.”
“I-I wasn’t the only one. Makenna and Hardin helped me.”
“But they didn’t kiss me.”
Kenzie gasped, her eyes flying to his face when she heard the lowly spoken words. Behind his cool mask, his dark eyes were liquid pools of warmth.
“You- You were conscious?”
“You didn’t really think I’d sleep through our first kiss, did you?”
“Not sleep, exactly. Did you… Could you hear what I was saying?”
He shrugged a broad shoulder. “I knew you were there, telling me to hang on. I could hear your voice.”
“I’m glad you listened.” She intended for the words to come out sassy, but they barely slipped by on a whisper.
“You gave me good reason to.”
She had never heard this low, sensual tone in his voice, never seen this light in his dark eyes. Anticipation shimmied its way along her nerve endings and she tingled all over. Breathing was difficult. “Which-Which was?”
For a big man, he moved gracefully. One step, and he was sidled up against her. “To see if the next kiss is even better,” he murmured. His large hands slipped around her waist as he pulled her close to his long, lean body. “Kiss me, Kenzie,” he instructed lowly. “Kiss me like you did that day.”
“That day, I was so scared,” she admitted on a whisper. Her fingers slipped between them to gingerly trace where the savage cut had been. “There was so much blood. You were so pale.” She could not help but shiver.
“I’m fine now, Kenzie,” he assured her in a voice that was strong yet gentle.
Kenzie’s eyes floated shut as she leaned in to kiss him. There was such strength in his embrace, such warmth. Such security. That was her biggest weakness of all. She threaded her fingers into the short blond hair at his nape and fitted her mouth against his, eager for another taste of him. He allowed her to control the kiss, as her tongue traced the seam of his lips before venturing inside to explore the warm cavern of his mouth. Travis submitted to her wanderings, enabling her to set the pace and the intensity of the kiss. But when her tongue pushed deeper into his mouth, his control snapped. With a growl of impatience, he took possession of the moment and swept her along in a maelstrom of heat. Kenzie forgot she was waiting on her date to arrive, forgot that Travis most often made her angry, forgot to breathe.
